The nor



(N Modem' v s sheets-sheen 1.

W. H. SCOTT. DITGHIING MACHINE.

` No. 601,106. Patented Maryzz, 1898.

l (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3.

W. H. SCOTT. DITGHING MACHINE.

Patented Man-22, 1898.

. UNITED STATES PATENTy OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SOOTT ,'OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO Y GOTTLIEB EYERMANN, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.601, 106, dated March 22, 1898.

Application filed July 8, 1897. Serial No. 643,796. (No model.)

T0 @L ZZ w21/0m t may concern:

. Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Scorr, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have made certain new and useful .Improvements in Ditching-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 lis an end view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, the swinging frame being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the shifting clutches for the ditching-chain raising and lowering mechanism. Fig. 5 is a similar View, the parts being shown in different positions. Fig.

.6 is -an enlarged sectionalview of the same.

Fig. is a detail View of the sliding bracket in which the shaft of the upper chain-sprocket is mounted. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the ditching-chain support. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one form of ditching-chain. Fig. 10 is a view of the preferred form of chain.

AThis invention relatesto a new and useful improvement in ditching-machines; and it consists, generally stated, in mechanism for raising and lowering the ditching-shovels, mechanism for tilting said shovels at an angle, the construction of said shovels, the novel arrangement 'and combination of the driving mechanism for said shovels, and, finally, the

invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in th'e claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a suitable frame mounted on ground-wheels, said frame being preferably composed of parallel I-beams suitably braced.

2 indicates the boiler of a stationary engine, which is preferably mounted on the frame 1.

3 indicates a pulley, driven by belt 4. from' the engine, for driving the machine. Pulley 3 is mounted on a cross-shaft 5, which shaft has arranged upon it a beveled gear 6, meshing with a beveled gear 7 on the lower end of a shaft 8. Shaft 8 is grooved and carries a pinion 9, meshing with a beveled gear 10, ar ranged on a cross-shaft 11.

12 indicates a pair of sprockets mounted on sprockets 12, as has been before described.

If desired, these plates 16 may be made longer to accommodate a greater number of sectional pockets 13 to increase the width of cut of the ditch; also, the sprocket-wheels 12 and 211 may be placed wider apart in connection with this increased capacity of the chain to accommodate the same.

19 indicates a swinging frame pivotally mounted on the cross-shaft 5, the vertical members of said frame being preferably in the form of channel-beams.` Shaft 11, beveled gear 10, and the pinion 9 are mounted in suitable brackets 27, slidingly arranged in the channel-beams 19,which are slotted vertically for this purpose.

2O indicates an I-beam suspended from shaft 11, said I-beam being slotted, as at 21,

and passing on each side of the shaft 5, upon which it has a pivotal bearing through the medium of a bearing-block 22, which is arranged von a sleeve 22a, surrounding shaft 5 between the I-beams 1 of the main frame. This I- beam 2O is preferably provided with angleirons on each side of the slot 21 to afford a more extended bearing on block 22, as shown in` Figs. 3 and 8, and collars 23 are arranged on each side of the bearing-block 22 to guide said beam 2O in its bearing. The lower end' of this beam 2O carries a sliding bearing in which are mounted sprocket-wheels 24, over which wheels 24. the lower end of the ditchingchain passes.

In order to place the Scrapers and the chain which carries the same under tension, I preferably arrange a rod 25 in connection with the bearing for wheels 24., which rod passes through a threaded nut secured to the beam 20, the upper end of the rod being provided IOO hood 26 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) is preferably arranged to confine the dirt to the shovels after the shovels issue from the ditch and before they are dumped.

The means for raising and lowering the ditching-chain will now be described.

27 indicates sliding brackets mounted in the channel-beams 19, and in which brackets is carried the shaft 11, one of said brackets carrying also the pinion 9.

28 indicates threaded rods preferably arranged in the corners of the channel-beams, said rods being stepped or socketed at their lower ends in brackets on the lower ends of the channelbeams and passing through threaded projections on the brackets 27. There are preferably four of these threaded rods 2S, their upper ends passing through a cross-piece 29, which connects the upper ends of the channel-beams 19.

30 indicates pinions arranged on the upper ends of rods 28, said pinions meshing with an idle-pinion 3l, so that they will be driven in the same direction when motion is imparted to said idle-pinion.

32 indicates miter-gears conjoined to the idle-pinion 3l, said miter-gears meshing with miter-gears 33, which are fixed to the sleeve or hollow shaft 34, mounted in suitable bearings on the cross-piece 29.

It is obvious from the above description that when the shaft 34 is rotated in one direction it will drive the threaded rods 28 and cause the brackets 27 to be raised, said brackets carryin g with them the ditching-chain and its associate parts, and when said shaft 34 is rotated in the other direction it will cause said ditching-chain and its associate parts to be lowered.

I desire to drive shaft 34 from shaft 8,which necessitates, as said shaft is rotating in one direction at all times, the presence of suitable devices for changing the motion from said shaft 8 or for disengaging the shaft 34 from shaft 8. This construction is more clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, wherein are two miter-gears loosely mounted on hollow shaft 34. 36 is a gear on shaft S, which constantly meshes with gears 35, driving them, respectively, in opposite directions.

37 is a sleeve feathed on hollow shaft 34 and provided with friction-clutches on its ends to engage, respectively, the gears 35 and fix one or the other of said gears 35 relative t0 shaft 34.

3S is a rod passing through hollow shaft 34 and provided .with a pin 39, passing through slots 40 'in the hollow shaft 34 and engaging the clutch-sleeve 37. This rod 38 is threaded at one end, on which threaded end is arranged a gear 41, said gear 4l being provided withinterlocking means relative to the hollow shaft 34 to prevent independent longitudinal motion of the same, but permitting independent rotary motion.

42 indicates a gear meshing with gear 41, suitable means being provided for the manual rotation of gear 42. Vhen gear 42 is rotated, it will rotate gear 41 and cause the longitudinal movement of rod 38 relative to the shaft 34, in which it is arranged, thereby causing the clutches on the sleeve 37, carried by rod 34, to engage either one or the other of the wheels 35 and x said wheels, respectively, to the hollow shaft 34 and drive said hollow shaft 34 in either direction it is desired to raise or lower the ditching mechanism. Under this condition the pinion 41 is constantly rotated, and by reason of the pitch of the threads on rod 3S, with which it engages, said rotation has a tendency to bind the frictionclutch more firmly into the socket in the pinion 35, which it engages. XVhen the other friction-clutch is in engagement with the other pinion, the reverse movement of the parts takes place, and the threaded rod is such that, due to the rotation of such reverse movement, it will force said other friction-clutch more firmly into its socket in the pinion 35.

It will be understood that while the ditching-chain is being raised or lowered the pinions 41 and 42 are being constantly rotated, but at such slow speed that the manually-operated handle for rotating pinion 42 may be easily caught, so as to reverse the movement of the ditching-chain or cause it to cease its vertical movement entirely by disengaging both clutches from both pinions 35. In addition to this vertical movement of the ditching-chain I also provide means for arranging said chain so that it will act at an angle, and by such combination of movements I am enabled to avoid any boulders or rocks which might be in the path of the ditch to be cut, at the same time taking out as much dirt as possible. To accomplish this throw of the ditching-chain to an angle, which throw is also utilized to cause the ditching-chain to assume almost the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which entirely disengages its scraping-blades from the ground, as when it is desired to transport the machine froln one point to another without disassembling the machine, I provide pivoted nuts 43 on the sides and near the upper ends of the swinging channel-beams 19, through which pivoted nuts pass threaded rods 44. These rods 44 are mounted in a swinging bearing 45 on their lower ends, which bearing is arranged on a cross-shaft 46, said cross-shaft 46 carrying beveled gears 47, meshing with beveled gears 48, fixed to the threaded rods 44. Shaft 46 IOO IIO

ISO

is driven from shaft 5 by means of a beveled gear 49 on shaft 5 meshing with a beveled gear 50 on a shaft 51, which shaft lvcarries at its other. end a beveled gear 52, meshing with beveled gear 53, loosely mounted on the hollow shaft 46. V

54 indicates a clutch-sleeve feathered on the hollow shaft 46 and connected to a rod 55,

passing through said hollow shaft, similar to the rod 38, which has been before described.

56 indicates ahand-wheel on the end of rod 55, which is used to move said rod longitudinally the hollow shaft 46 to accomplish a reversal'in movement of said hollow shaft 46 4or to disengage said shaft 46 from the shaft 51 in like manner to the mechanism heretofore described for raising and lowering the ditching-chain.

From the above it will be noted that at thel time 'the scraping-points are doing their work in the ditch the chain on which said blades arev arranged can be either raised or lowered -at will orbe caused to remain stationary, or

thel parts may be swung at an angle during the operation of the scraping-points in either direction.

Of course it will be understood that the arrangement of thegearing-is such that the vertical. movement or the angular movement of the swinging frame which carries the scraping-points Ais accomplished at a very slow speed, which can be increased or diminished, as desired.

The dirt collected in the pockets 13, being carried up, wilLbe discharged onto a coninnige. r

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without inthe least departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a ditching-machine, the combinationA with an endless chain, of castings secured thereon, forming pockets, scraping-blades de- .tachably secured in the outer edges of said castings, sprocket wheels over which said chain passes, and means coperating with the upper sprocket-wheels for lifting and lowering the chain; substantially as described.

2. In a ditching-machine, the combination with an endless chain, of castings secured thereto,forming pockets, scraping-bladesdetachably secured in the outer edges of said castings, means for 'raising and lowering said chain, and means for tilting said chain at an angle; substantially as described.

3V. In a ditching-machine, the combination with a swinging frame, of a drive-shaft on which said frame is pivotally mounted, brackets slidingly mounted on said swinging frame, sprocket-wheels jourualed in said brackets, mechanism for driving said sprocket-wheels in their positions, from said drive-shaft, a ditching-chain passing over said sprockets, and means for' raising and lowering said brackets; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a swinging frame, of a drive-shaft on which said frame is pivotally mounted, brackets carried by said swinging frame, a shaft journaled in said brackets,

grooved shaft 8, which is driven by said driveshaft,'a pinion 9 on said grooved shaft, a gearwheel l0 on the bracket-shaft meshing with pinion 9, threaded rods which engage the bracket, and means on the upper end of said grooved` shaft for imparting motion to said threaded rods to raise and lower said brackets; substantially as described.

5. In a ditching-machine, the combination with sliding brackets', of a shaft 11 mounted therein, sprocketwheels arranged on said shaft vover which a ditching-chain passes, a vertically-disposed grooved shaft 8, a pinion 9 slidingly mounted on said shaft and engaging a pinion 10 mounted on shaft 11, rods 28 having a threaded connection with said sliding brackets, gear wheels cooperating with the upper ends of the rods, a gear-wheel secured to the upper end of grooved shaft 8, a geared connection between said last mentioned gear and the gears on the upper ends of the rods 28, and a clutch cooperating with said gears; substantially as described. 6. The combination with brackets, of rods 28 having a threadedV connection therewith, pinions 30 on the upper ends of said rods 28, an idle-pinion with which said pinions mesh, a niiter-gear conjoined to said idle-pinion, a shaft 8 carrying a pinion 36 at its upper end, with which meshes two pinions loosely mounted on a hollow shaft or sleeve, one of said pinions being geared to a miter-gear which drives the rods 28, and a clutch fixed to a rod passing through said hollow shaft or sleeve, for starting, stopping, or reversing the rotation of rods 28; substantially as described.

7. In a ditching-machine, the combination with a swinging frame, of a drive-shaft on which said frame is pivotally mounted, brackets slidingly mounted on said swinging frame,

sprocket-wheels journaled in said brackets, mechanism for driving' said sprocket-wheels in their positions, from'said drive -shaft, a ditching-chain passing over said sprockets, threaded rods engaging said brackets,a powerdriven gear for rotating lsaid threaded rods,

and a manually-operated clutch for throwing a ditching-chain supported by said shaft, a

IOO

said power-driven gear into or out of operative relation to said threaded rods, to start, stop, or reverse the movement of said rods; substantially as described.

8. The combination with a swinging frame, pivoted on a drive-shaft, of sliding brackets arranged on said swinging frame, and a beam 2O suspended from said brackets and pivoted on the drive-shaft through the medium of a slot; substantially as described.

9. The combination with a swinging frame, of sliding brackets carrying sprocket-wheels, a drive-shaft on which said frame is pivoted, a beam 2O suspended from said sliding brackets and having a slot through which said driveshaft passes, sprocket-wheels on the lower end of said beam, and means for raising and lowering said lower sprocket-wheels relative to the beam; substantially as described.

10. The combination with a drive-shaft, of a beam 20 provided with a slot through which said drive-shaft passes, a block on said driveshaft for engaging the beam, bearings at the ends of the beam in which are mounted sprocket-wheels, a ditching-chain carried by said sprocket-wheels, means for adjusting the lower sprocket-wheels relative to the beam, and a pressure-frame secured to the beam for holding the ditching-chain to its work; substantially as described.

11. In a ditching-machine, the combination with a swinging frame 1E), of a drive-shaft on which the same is pivoted, brackets slidingly mounted on said swinging frame, a beam 20 suspended from said brackets and embracing said drive-shaft, sprocket-wheels journaled in the ends of said beam, a ditching-chain which passes around said sprockets,and mechanism cooperating with said brackets to raise and lower the ditching-chain; substantially as described.

12. In a ditching-machine, the combination with a swinging frame 19, of a drive-shaft on which the same is pivoted, brackets slidingly mounted on said swinging frame, a beam 2O suspended from said brackets and embracing said drive-shaft, sprocket-wheels journaled in the ends of said beam, a ditching-chain which passes around said sprockets, mechanism eoperating with said brackets to raise and lower the ditching-chain, and means cooperating with the swinging frame for tilting the ditching-chain at an angle; substantially as described.

13. The combination with a swinging frame 10,01*' sliding brackets mounted thereon, a drive-shaft on which said swinging frame is pivoted,a beam 2O suspended from said brackets and embracing said drive-shaft, sprocketwheels at the ends of the beam, a ditchingchain which passes over said sprocket-wheels, m eans for raising and lowering said brackets, threaded rods 44 engaging the swinging frame to move the same to an angle, and a clutch mechanism for throwing said threaded rods into or out of engagement with the positive driving mechanism of the machine; substantially as described.

14. The combination with a swinging frame 19, of a ditching-chain carried thereby, a positively-driven shaft 51 carrying a gear 52 at its end, rods 44 having a threaded connection with said swinging frame 19, and a manuallyoperated clutch for throwing said rods into, or out of, engagement with said positivelydriven shaft, to start, stop, or reverse the rotation of said threaded rods; substantially as described.

15. In a ditching-machine, the combination with parallel chains, of plates mounted thereon. sectional pockets mounted on the plates, and scraping points or blades secured to the outer edges of each pocket; substantially as described.

16. In a ditching-machine, the combination with parallel chains, of plates 16 secured thereon, sectional pockets 13 secured to said plates, sockets on the outer edges of said sectional pockets, and scraping-points 14 secured in said sockets; substantially as described.

17. In a ditching-machine, the combination with parallel chains, of plates secured thereon, a pocket whose upper end is bent over the plate and whose lower end is secured to said plate by a bolt, and a scraping-blade 14 carried at the outer edge of said pocket; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of June, 1897.

XVILLIAM H. SCOTT.

Attest:

HUGH K. WAGNER, G. A. PENNINGTON. 

